SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Upper Bijou Park Creek Watershed Restoration Project is a watershed-scale project that seeks to address water quality and flooding issues through a phased approach. It aims to treat urban runoff from roadways, commercial and residential areas within an approximately 850-acre watershed that discharges to Lake Tahoe via the Ski Run Marina.

The city is focusing on the upper watershed area subject to historic flooding, development impacts in stream environment zone (SEZ) areas, and water quality issues. The upper watershed project includes plans to restore SEZ and floodplain areas, provide drainage solutions to support future active transportation improvements, and include distributed natural treatment systems to reduce sediment and nutrient loads in urban runoff that have the potential to impact Lake Tahoe.

One project that is part of the overall Upper Bijou Park Creek Watershed Restoration Project is the Rockwood to Blackwood Drainage Improvements Project, which will reduce flooding on Woodbine Road, Rockwood Drive, Blackwood Road, and in the Heavenly Valley Estates Mobile Home Park. This project is planned to begin construction on May 12, 2025.

Construction activities will include installation of storm water collection, conveyance, and treatment infrastructure, and utility relocations from Rockwood Drive to Blackwood Drive and through Heavenly Valley Estates Mobile Home Park. Streets impacted by storm drain installation and utility relocation will include Woodbine Road and Rockwood Drive and Blackwood Road from Pioneer Trail to Spruce Avenue. Construction is anticipated to be complete by the end of the grading season in October 2025. The City encourages residents and visitors to stay informed about project updates and traffic or utility impacts.

For more information on this project, please visit the Public Works webpage at https://www.cityofslt.us/901/Bijou-Park-Creek.